The Hornets are playing the Pacers tonight, so Hornets fans get to see the entire backcourt that could have been, if not for the trade that sent James Posey and Darren Collison to the Pacers.
Both Posey and Collison are still on the Pacers, and are expected to play. David West is out, but everyone else on the Hornets is injury free.
54 responses to “Game On: Hornets @ Pacers”
Thornton 0-6 after first quarter.
What is going on here?
Wow does Thornton suck. Why were we talking about holding him back from a Melo trade? Okay maybe I’m over-reacting hehe.
I think he’ll do much better for the regular season but I’m really worried he’s being effected by the bench role and is trying to force the issue to prove a point to Monty. Also I’m starting to think he needs to play with a good point guard to have the most success.
You’re probably right about the point guard thing. But I think the bench role thing has nothing to do with it, mentally speaking of course.
He seems to be forcing the issue far to much and turning it over as well. A lot of the work he now does is in the iso or pick and roll and he just doesn’t seem to know what to do. I’m thinking he works better as an off-ball player. I’m hoping I am wrong though.
Probably because you know… for most of last season, he DIDN’T suck. He was the exact opposite of suck.
Still… this is a worrying trend. This team needs Thornton to atleast be as good as was his rookie season. We all expected improvement or at the very least more of the same, I don’t think anyone expected regression. Glad its still preseason. I’m pretty confident he’ll get it worked out.
Are you guys serious? Did you even watch the game? Every shot he took was a good one. They dribbled out. I’m pretty disappointed Monty is keeping him on a short leash right now.
Kind of, a lot of the time he would drive in trying to create a shot only to get the ball knocked loose and try and find someone to help him out. Not every shot was a good one, some actually were not. He needs to get to the basketball, heck he should try and get to the line and get some freebies that’d be the best way for him to get back into rhythm.
I’m glad to see this, because I didn’t watch the game, and was worried. Looking at his minutes and how he shot the ball I assumed he was jacking bad shots up and Monty pulled him. Getting yanked can’t be helping his confidence any (never thought I’d have to worry about that with Marcus). Unless his defense is totally atrocious (it may be), I think Monty should let him get out of this funk before the games start to count. You don’t want to be going into the regular season with a weapon like Buckets playing like this.
good third quarter run by the starters right now , particularly Ariza and Cp3.
But after watching the Heat game at the hive and this game , I think Willie Green could end up being the one to blame for Marcus’s disjointed play thus far , he simply doesn’t look to pass he’s a poor second string two guard at best , and he doesn’t know how to create, and often forces shots due to a lack of creativity. It’s like playing mean mug Bobby Brown as the back up PG .
Posey just hit a three, Ariza answered with a fade-away and-1 , all 5 starters in double figures
Joe Alexander is turrible.
I see the officials finally made an attempt at evening out the ft attempts heh?
Why isn’t Monty putting Marcus into the game when Paul is in there?
LOL @ Sean Kelly “we’re gonna have to retire these whistles after tonight”. LOL!
whats happening to marcus put him as starter he is playing like ju ju
Green forcing two shots practically back to back , lets try a thornton belinelli backcourt
how are yall watching it
I’m listening on the computer.
oh
7 to’s for Collison? Seriously?
if david was here it would be a different story
So Shakur can’t get ANY PT? Not even in preseason?
wow did that just really happen
Hornets down 3 with 11 seconds left? Who’s going to take the shot? Better question, will he make it?
This backup PG story is scary…Willie Green is no good! Isn’t Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley, Chucky Atkins a better option?!? (last time I checked they were still FAs, I may be wrong though)
Earl Watson plays for the Jazz. Jamal Tinsley may be headed to China. I might not mind Chucky though.
I’d prefer Willie Green to Watson, Tinsley, or Atkins. Green’s had a rough start, but looked better the last two games.
Oh well.
We could have possibly won this game had we shot a better percentage of our free throws.
And our 3pt shooting sucked tonight.
Atlanta tomorrow.
I’d like to believe that Thornton is in some kind of funk and I can only hope if he’s in a Hornets uniform he can snap out of it.
The guy on the radio in the postgame show said Willie Green had 10 points as he battles for that backup pg spot. Who exactly is he battling? Can’t be Mustafa Shakur because the guy barely sees the floor. Is he battling Strawberry? I’m confused. Help me out please. Who exactly is he battling?
man I hate green as a back up PG hes like devin brown all over again
Why is Green still playing the point? It rubs off on Thornton. They suck together
I’m interested. What was Green doing wrong? I felt for a backup point guard, he was doing what we wanted him to do.
Exactly what is it that we expect of Green? I couldn’t see tonights game but was he setting the table for the team and they were just missing shots (Green had absolutely no assists)?
Hmmm. How about a simple stat. In 20 minutes Wednesday, Green has 2 assists and 10 pts. In 22 minutes tonight, 0 assists and 10 pts. If that’s what the Hornets coaches want from a backup point guard, 8.5 shot attempts and 1 assist per game over the last two, then they’re redefining the position.
Sorry. Forgot to count the 3-point attempts. Green is averaging 10 shots per game in 21 minutes average in the last two.
Translation in game management terms:
If Green has 20 shot clocks on average in the aggregate 20 minutes he’s on the floor, only 1/20 ends in an assist, but a whopping 1/2 end in him taking the shot.
Wow, is Monty blind? Why do they even pay this dude? Green at PG, seriously? That guy is a straight up ball hog, poor-mans 2 guard. The only other PG left on the team is Mustafa Shakur. Seriously, give this guy some minutes and let him prove he’s legit. It is the preseason! Let him go in the second quarter. What is the worst that can happen, lose a game? Not like they are winning ball games anyhow!
I didn’t think Green looked bad Wednesday at all. I believe Collison may have spoiled us as a backup PG. A backup PG is not going to get you 5+ assists every night. My criteria for judging him is if the ball is moving and we are scoring some points while not getting torched by the other team’s PG, then he is doing his job. HE definitely looked good play off the ball with Bellinelli on Wednesday and I only remember 1 ill-advised shot. I was totally against him getting this spot, but I fail to see the uproar ab his play thus far. (Admittedly I did not watch the Magic or Pacer games.)
Tonight, like on Wednesday, he played aggressive defense, took only one bad shot(went in too) and got the ball to the people in the right spots to start the offense. They aren’t using him to create, they are using him to initiate the offense. I.E. bring the ball up safely and pass to Belinelli on the perimeter and cut – or pass to a forward in the high post – and cut. Those are perfectly valid roles for a Point guard.
As a ball handler, he’s pretty solid. Collison was trying to hound him, and he handled it well.
I think he is far better suited to being a SG. You have Bellineli who is averaging 3.5+ assist a game as the SG. Imagine if we allowed him to slide to the backup PG when CP3 gets his rest. He might push 5.5 apg while scoring like he has. Let Willie get his score on and be the defensive minded guard he was tonight and Wednesday. If Marcus is on, then sit Willie unless we need the defense.
I don’t hate Green at the PG, as much as I want to, but I think Bellineli is a better option.
Do you know who will get you 6+ assists off the bench? Jose Calderon!! Somebody get him over here!
If we want to rant about someone, we should be hammering Aaron Gray and Joe Alexander. Wow. Bad isn’t the word. I was feeling embarassed for Alexander out there as Tyler Hansbrough simply took him to the woodshed. They literally went to Hansbrough every time down the court so he could punish the guy.
Ryan you’re right about those two “players” they sucked seriously bad. But I think people aren’t happy with Green for three reasons.
1. He doesn’t distribute the ball at all, he’s essentially a better Devin Brown.
2. We are all used to Darren Collison.
3. Shakur is getting no playing time.
I semi-understand the 1st one. I still feel it’s not even the role they are asking of him.
I miss Darren, though he was a turnover machine last night.
As for Shakur – I’ve never seen him play at all – so I’m not really sure why I should pine for his presence. 🙂
We did see some strawberry last night. Pretty intense defense, nothing else.
If Pops can’t get a roster spot in front of Alexander then the world has ended. Plus how the hell has Gray made any seasons in the NBA. I have seen better 7 footers playing in the british league and that is one of the worst leagues in Europe.
Gray’s been inconsistent this preseason, but I am confident he will play as well as he did last year. He is big, so he gets in people’s way, don’t discount that. Plus, he rebounds at a phenomenal rate. Some bad games? Sure. But that’s why he’s a back up, not a starter.
LMAO @ “took him to the woodshed.” Looks like our big men got PWNED once again.
Well I don’t think Alexander will be one of OUR big men for much longer.
It’s time to stop kicking against the wall. Green isn’t a PG. He has 5 friggin’ assists. He doesn’t look to facilitate for anyone but himself and Thornton is put in situations where he has to beat the entire defense to score. Belinelli however 4 assists per game. I think we’re at a situation where Thornton has to start until we get a truer PG to run with him in the 2nd unit.
Everyone is on Patty Mills. I’m indifferent cuz I don’t know much about him. But until he or someone else steps up, Thornton needs someone to feed him the rock in favorable situations.
Then how about we trade Willie, Stojakovic, and Gray, plus a boat load of cash for Gilbert Arenas…
That’s stupid. You can pay me half that money, and I’ll be able to provide the same thing as Arenas for half the price. I’ll get arrested, injured, etc. and take a season or two off just like Arenas.
Tell that to all the guys in the f****** journal who’ve been discussing how we can get him.